InDesign performance issue: Text disappears while editing
When editing a text box, the text disappears.
I have to switch the display mode (Overview > Normal or Normal > Overview) to make the text appear again.
This bug occurs frequently (10~20 times a day) but I did not identify what is the trigger.
Version 2017.1
Build 12.1.0.56 x64
Windows 10 x64

Hello All,
Thank you for reporting the issue. Our investigation revealed that the problem manifests in multiple use cases.
We have fixed the issue in some of the use cases and are currently working on the remaining ones.
Please update your InDesign to the latest version, id 14.0.3 to try out the fix.
We shall update here once we have addressed all the remaining use case
We appreciate your cooperation.
-InDesign Team
58 comments
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Anonymous commented
Text disappearing while editing is still my biggest issue, even with new versions of the program.
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James Hance commented
This issue is plaguing me now, and I will attempt to install a 2018 version of InDesign work from that. The same lame response from InDesign "Admin" appears several times in this thread. How can this issue go unaddressed for the large user base having problems with disappearing type, or will all of your development resources be diverted to the new Apple silicon versions of Adobe products?
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Mi commented
Happened to me also. I had saved my document with the list number.
I suppressed the list number and my text reappered .
But it's not helping me cause I need to count those paragraphs...I tried what last anonyme said (story editor. Scroll to the part which says"overset text". Delete the line before) but it didn't work for me. I'm also in ID 2020 on a MAC
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Anonymous commented
Something which worked for me. Go into story editor. Scroll to the part which says"overset text". Delete the line before and whalla...
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Anonymous commented
Driving me nuts. The simplest task takes so much longer than it needs to.
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Anonymous commented
I am busy with the Annual Report, after a working so ******* a 240 page document text on 139 pages just disappear, mind you i have to send a revised file to approve for printing. What the heck do i do now??
Adobe cc on Macbook 2015
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Halvor commented
… and it seems to be the same problem as in these bug reports:
https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180-adobe-indesign-bugs/suggestions/35543347-changes-reverting-back
https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180-adobe-indesign-bugs/suggestions/39640816-suddenly-my-document-reverts-to-an-earlier-version
https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180-adobe-indesign-bugs/suggestions/33858805-display-not-properly-refreshed
https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180-adobe-indesign-bugs/suggestions/37821325-different-views-when-switching-between-preview-and -
Halvor commented
How long shall it take for Adobe to fix this really serious problem? Nearly one year since Adobe's last response – one whole year! What do you do over there? Please fix this bug before anything else, this is very frustrating and dangerous!
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c commented
I am having the same problem here, terribly frustrating, I am working on a 100+ pages document and this is costing me so much time. This is absolutely unacceptable. I am using the cmd+opt+c command (resize text box) every time I make the slightest change to a text box to be able to have the text re-appear.
August 2020, running InDesign 2020 on Catalina 10.15.6
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Meredith Hoenes commented
I am using InDesign 2020 and this has done this to me for the 1st time. None of the suggestions are fixing the issue. I am on a MAC - Catalina 10.15.4
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Anonymous commented
This is so frustrating... every time I edit a text box.
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m commented
Same issue here! Amazing how much progress Adobe is making their programmes buggier/harder to use/less stable! CS6 on my entry level 2010 MacBook Pro works far, far better than CC 2020 on high spec iMac..
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SP commented
Just to add another instance of text disappearance, this problem manifests itself entirely randomly, often without keyboard or mouse being touched on my iMac (InDesign v15.02). It's easily resolved (temporarily) by hitting cmd '-' then cmd '+' (zooming out, then back in) but is unbelievably annoying over a full working day. I hope Adobe can find a permanent solution soon.
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Hum3 commented
This does not address my issue. The issue I have manifests itself in a blank page / text box where a footnote falls in the top line of the text – the text does not disappear, it just skips a text box leaving a blank page. If I play with the tracking it reappears in the correct text box.
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Halvor commented
As I posted elsewhere on another bug report for the same issue:
This very serious bug is present in both 2019 and 2020 versions, it's shocking that Adobe haven't solved it yet. I concurr with previous posters, some bugs are merely inconvenient, but this one is really dangerous. I had a very long and stressful night when I first encountered it, making me unsure of every correction I had made the last couple of days. Luckily, nothing is really lost, it seems the bug is just a screen view problem.
I've found that if you type a character and delete it again in preview mode, the correct view pops back again.Update!
I thought the edits always were displayed correctly in Normal view, but discovered just now that an old version of the text was displayed in both Normal and Preview mode, and I sent a pdf to my client full of orphans and widows!. Had to restart InDesign to get everything displayed correctly.It's a huge problem when you can't trust what you see anymore!
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Anonymous commented
Is there a fix for this??
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Jamie commented
I am having the same issue, I am working on a booklet, 56 pages and on certain pages a white box appears.
I have reset the pages. Delete and recreated from scratch however the problem is still occurring. The deadline is approaching and I really do not want to recreate these pages in illustrator and graph them into a pdf. Please help :) -
Hum3 commented
This is happening while I am working on the text itself, not just when I reopen files. This needs a fix. InDesign is a very expensive package for independent freelancers – it should at least be reliable!
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Sabrena commented
I am having the same issue with text disappearing after I change the font. Any reason that may be? I am using a font that I just activated in Adobe - one page it works fine but the other does disappears.
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Anonymous commented
This just started happening to me when I upgraded to 15.01. x 64 yesterday. Text disappears when moving an image inside the column or editing words near it. Reappears quickly, sometimes on its own or if I scroll to another page and back.